Step 1

Gather all the ingredients.

Step 2

Cut ¼ onion into wedges and then cut them half.

Step 3

Cut the white part of negi (leek/green onion) diagonally.

Step 4

Cut the napa cabbage into small pieces.

Step 5

Cut the daikon into quarters lengthwise then thinly slice them.

Step 6

Cut the carrot into thin slabs and cut them in half.

Step 7

Cut the garlic chives into 2 inch pieces.

Step 8

Discard the bottom of the shimeji mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms. You can make a decorative shiitake mushroom following this method.

Step 9

Cut the tofu into roughly 1.5 inch cubes (it’s harder to fish out from the hot pot if you cut too small).

Step 10

Heat the sesame oil in a hot pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it’s coated with the oil.

Step 11

Add the kimchi and stir fry with the onion and Tokyo negi.

Step 12

Add sake and gochujang.

Step 13

Add gochugaru and granulated sugar. Mix all together well.

Step 14

Add 4 cups chicken stock, and cover the lid to bring to simmer.

Step 15

Once simmering, lower the heat to medium low heat. Add soy sauce and miso. It’s best to put miso and small amount of soup in a ladle and let it dissolved first instead of dropping miso in a pot and not sure if it has been dissolved completely. Taste the soup and adjust the taste by adding salt (I added ¼ to ½ tsp), if necessary.

Step 16

Add the hard vegetables to the soup first, such daikon, carrot, tough part of napa cabbages, etc. Cook covered for 10 minutes on low heat.

Step 17

Skim off the foam and fat. Add the soft ingredients such as leafy part of napa cabbages, mushrooms, and tofu.

Step 18

Add the gyoza (if frozen, no need to defrost) and garlic chives on top.

Step 19

Cook covered over medium low heat for 5 minutes. Serve the extra ingredients on a plate and add them once you finish the ingredients in the pot.